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Baseball notebook: Levari making huge strides for Prep

PATRICK BUGANSKI, Special to The Daily Journal
Published 11:19 a.m. ET May 10, 2018

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Buena pitcher Yan Sauri (5) throws a pitch against Gloucester in a playoff game last season. The right-hander is putting together another strong season for the Chiefs this year.(Photo: Justin Odendhal/Staff Photo)Buy Photo

“It was fun,” Levari said. “Just a bunch of childhood friends. We all grew up together.”

Levari went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple.

“It felt really good,” Levari said. “I’ve been hitting a lot better lately than at the beginning of the year.”

Levari has five extra base hits and is batting .328. But according to Prep coach Mike Bylone, Levari's just getting started.

“Kenny is a special player,” Bylone said. “He’s the kind of player that comes around only once in a while in a coach’s career. He is yet to realize how good he is. I know how good he can be, he just has to work for it, and we push him every day because he’s young and responsive. The sky is the limit for him.”

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Gittone Stadium continues to be upgraded with a turf field as hash marks and numbers were put down on Thursday, Match 29.
Video produced by Justin Odendhal

Despite being the youngest player on the diamond most days, Levari has fit right in.

“I have a whole bunch of mentors like Josh Hood and Kevin Eaise,” Levari said. “They make my job a lot easier by welcoming me and giving me confidence.”

One thing Levari does have in common with his older teammates is that he has chosen a college already. It’s just a verbal commitment since he can’t sign or officially visit the campus yet but Levari plans to play at Old Dominion University.

“I think it’s good just getting it out of the way,” Levari said about picking a school with two years left to play in high school. “I can go out and play my game and not worry about impressing people.”

Chiefs are rolling

Buena won its seventh straight game Wednesday, beating Cape May Tech, 8-3. The Chiefs improved to 11-5.

“We’re getting really good pitching and we’re starting to come around with the bats a little more,” Buena coach Harry Grose said. And we’re playing good defense; all the stuff that helps you win games. We’re getting better every day.”

Pitchers Brady Betts and Yan Sauri have been solid all season, but others have stepped up of late. Andrew Slade improved to 3-0 with six innings of work Wednesday.

Matt Johnson has allowed two earned runs combined in his last two starts, including six innings of work against Atlantic County Institute of Technology. The senior struck out nine batters in that game.

“That’s the best he’s pitched in two years,” Grose said. “I was really happy for him. He reestablished himself a little bit.”

Statement win

Monday’s contest gave Millville the chance to play a Washington Township team that was recently awarded an at-large bid to the prestigious Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic – a tournament for which the Thunderbolts did not receive an invite.

Millville prevailed, 8-3, clawing back from a 3-0 hole early.

“We played well against a really tough team,” Thunderbolts coach Roy Hallenback said. “Washington Township is good. They jumped out on us and we kept fighting and hanging around.”

The matchup with the Minutemen is just another game against a tough opponent for Millville. The Thunderbolts’ schedule includes dates with Shawnee, Clearview, St. Augustine, Holy Spirit and others.

“We have a lot of experience facing teams like (Washington Township),” Hallenback said. “In theory, you hope it helps you, but we all know that on any given day, whatever team plays the best is going to come out on top that day.”

With a high rate of turnover from last year’s squad, the difficult schedule is proving to be a sort of trial by fire.

“We are relatively young,” Hallenback said. “For a lot of guys, this is their first time on this level at this stage. As much as we can see that kind of opponent, we want to, so we can see what it’s all about on that level.”

Heating up

Vineland’s Hector Perez has been swinging a hot bat for the Fighting Clan, recording three multi-hit games in the last five contests. His best performance was a 4-for-4 day with three RBIs in a 19-3 win over Egg Harbor Township Friday.

With his recent success, Perez lifted his average to .500 entering Wednesday’s game against St. Augustine. He is one of two Vineland players, along with Ervin Bogan, who is hitting .500 this season.